The Seminar on Media Communication Capacity for Liberia, which lasted for 2 weeks, has just finished in Changsha,thecapital city of Hunan Province, China. Besides the professional courses and the exciting experience of China’s most popular tourist city and the UNESCO City of Media Arts, most importantly, the 18 national media outlets from Liberia have achieved strategic agreements with Changsha, focusing on bilateral news reporting and communicating.
During the 2 weeks, the Liberian participants have learnt detailed information about China’s national conditions, international communication, AI technology, media team management, new media operation, headline news production, media convergence, and etc.
They also took a tour in Orange Isle and Jinggang Ancient Town; and visited Hunan Daily News Agent, Changsha Evening News Agent and Changsha Online, which jointly left a tangible impression about the city and the local media development on them. Through on-site visits and discussions, they gained a first-hand experience of the innovative vitality and unique charm of the new media industry in the UNESCO City of Media Arts.
What’s worth mentioning is that on the closing ceremony on April 14th, Changsha Online, the local official news website signed strategic cooperation agreements with the 18 most influential Liberian national media outlets including the Liberia Broadcasting System, FrontPage Africa, Daily Observer Newspaper, Women Voices Newspaper, EYE TV, Reports 231 and etc.
According to the strategic cooperation agreement, Changsha Online will become the Chinese news publicity and reporting partner of these Liberian media outlets. The both sides will support each other by sharing their resources, and achieve a win-win development. Thecooperation will focus on providing strategic supports on major news planning and reporting activities. In addition, Changsha Online and these Liberian media outlets will start relevant columns for free on their respective platforms,aiming to jointly publicize the good stories of China-Africa friendship and cooperation.
J. H. Webster Clayeh, a senior Executive Mansion reporter working for FrontPage Africa in Liberia, is full of expectations for this cooperation. “The advanced experience of Changsha Online in the digital field will greatly assist us in technological upgrade and content innovation. We believe that through close cooperation, the voices fromLiberia and even Africa will be more effectively conveyed in China; and at the same time, it will also enable people in Liberia to get to know the development in China more conveniently and comprehensively.”
“This cooperation has not only provided us with an opportunity to show ourselves, but also created a platform for telling good stories in China and Africa. During this trip, we deeply experienced the local cuisine, culture and custom, and meanwhile witnessed the integration of traditional and new media.” Varney ShakehKamara, Supervisor Audio/Visual in Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs who has a large number of followers on social media platforms, said that in future collaborations, he would share his experience in Changsha with the people of Liberia and tell the world how beautiful Changsha is.
Jiang Guo, the Party Secretary, Chairman and General Manager of Hunan Changsha Online New Media Co., Ltd., introduced at the signing ceremony: “We expect to build a brand-new door-to-door international communication mode based on mutual resources and advantages. Besides enhancing international communication capabilities of both sides, this cooperation will open a window for different society and culture, and promote mutual understanding and friendship between the people. Connecting beyond the distance, we will tell the story of friendly cooperation between the Chinese and African and advance the sustainable development of cooperation in all areas.”
As an ancient Chinese saying goes, “If the way of communication is proper, even a thousand miles apart, we will share the same love.” China and Africa are good friends and good partners with a shared future. Media from both sides is pivotal in the Sino-African friendship and cooperation. This cooperation between Changsha Online and Liberian media demonstrates the positive and continuous deepening of cultural exchanges and media cooperation under the framework of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. It not only marks a new step forward in the media relations between the two regions but also provides a practical andinnovative model of resource sharing, technical collaboration and cultural exchanges between Chinese and African media. In the near future, Changsha Online will keep enhancingcooperation with African media organizations, and make a contribution to mutual understanding, connectivity and benefits through technological exchanges and manpowercultivation.
By Liu Jia
